Culture Shockshttps://theresaly520.wordpress.com
Musings on a variety of subjects while embracing new towns
Thu, 21 Feb 2019 20:15:56 +0000 en
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1 http://wordpress.com/https://theresaly520.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/cropped-btfy1.jpg?w=32Culture Shockshttps://theresaly520.wordpress.com
3232One-Liner Wednesday: Kindnesshttps://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/20/one-liner-wednesday-kindness/
https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/20/one-liner-wednesday-kindness/#commentsWed, 20 Feb 2019 17:01:44 +0000http://theresaly520.wordpress.com/?p=3029Linda G Hill One Liner WednesdayFeel free to stop by!
]]>https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/20/one-liner-wednesday-kindness/feed/6umbrella-1588167_960_720theresaly520Eclectic Days of My Life: Part 1https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/eclectic-days-of-my-life-part-1/
https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/18/eclectic-days-of-my-life-part-1/#commentsMon, 18 Feb 2019 17:35:42 +0000http://theresaly520.wordpress.com/?p=2696Hello everyone! I’m sorry I haven’t been present for the past few weeks. February was just one of those busy months where I wondered exactly how I got involved with so much. “Eclectic Days of My Life” is a chronicle of my recent tales which I broke into two parts! I tend to have phases in my life where I unplug from a few technological devices, live life to the fullest, and then write about my tales afterwards. Here’s a “table of contents” for my recent adventures!

Part 11. Lunar New Year (2/1-2/6)2. “Made For More” Retreat (2/7)3. Infinity Expo (2/9)4. Hosting a Sushi Making Party (2/10)

It’s been a long while since I’ve seen my family. I was really excited to see them again and spend quality time. On the bus ride, I decided to write in my journal for five hours straight. I wanted to see what the stream of consciousness would produce and where my mind and imagination would take me as I stared out at the fields of grass rows of skyscrapers. I explored my past, politics, my philosophical coursework, animal rights, personality types, international affairs, gift giving. Daydreaming at my best I suppose. I like that travelling in buses give me the chance to do that.

It was a warm family welcome. Mom had made a delicious bowl of Bun Bo Hue (vermicelli soup with fried tofu and beef) for dinner and I cracked opened a coconut and enjoyed the cool refreshing juice. After dinner we began making banh chung together as a family. I fold the banana leaves to create a box of sorts and put in in a wooden mold to create a square structure. I begin putting the colored rice, mung bean or peanuts, and marinated pork. I wrap it up in foil and pat it down to fill the mold. We got the steamer ready and waited for the water to boil.

As we waited, my brother introduced us to fun card game called The Mind that was developed by a German game maker, Wolfgang Warsch. Guessing what cards my siblings may have by reading body language prove quite difficult. We made it to level six out of twelve! We called it a night after three rounds. I wore this knitted puppet who brought some laughs in this intense game.

The next evening we went out to Asia Times Square in Grand Prairie, TX. Celebrations and entertainment occur here for six days. Parking was packed. It took my brother and I 30 minutes to find parking at night, so it’s best to come early! The size of the crowd was dense. In the morning, there’s usually dances and shows of firecrackers.

Like Christmas, there’s plenty of light displays outside the plaza. Food vendors have set up stands or parked their trucks outside. It’s a good time for their businesses! There’s was a long line where the average wait time is 30 minutes.The funnel cake and kabobs were delicious.

Indoors, there were lion/dragon dances parading in the lobbies to the beat of the drummers banging away on drums half their size. People tip the teenagers who wear the dragon costumes who do tricks. Singers captivate the audience.

We walked inside the plaza exploring. I checked out various things that were out on display: dresses, K-pop posters, toys, flowers, food. Various institutions set up tables as well to advertise themselves: police/fire department, various non-profit groups, politicians.

After a few hours, we drove over to another plaza called Ben Thanh a few minutes down the street. Stores are decorated with several flowers. The singers sing traditional music that appeals to many of the masses with their lyrics. Cashiers at the grocery store give you raffle tickets towards a drawing for a brand new car each day you shop there. You can also buy each ticket for one dollar. Mom collected 8 tickets for me to place inside a large plastic container on stage. A woman told the audience that roughly 42,000 tickets were sold.

Two emcees periodically pulled tickets out of the container to award gift certificates to restaurants throughout the night. While listening to the beautiful music, I chatted to a man next to me while waiting for the results. He talked about how he felt when Vietnam was taken over by the Communist regime. A few tears sprung from his eyes when his son expressed interest in visiting Vietnam to learn more about his heritage. He said that he would never go back, but out of his love for his son, he decided to buy plane tickets for both of them. I learned about his experiences of raising children in America, his academic accomplishments in engineering, his views on music and culture. When the emcee finally called out the winner of the car, my heart almost stopped when he called out Sa Lee. It was another woman’s number. Now I know how the people in Willa Wonka felt with the golden tickets! The older gentlemen wished me good luck in my endeavors as we bid each other good night.

The next morning, my family got ready to attend mass service at the church. My mother and I ironed our ao dai dresses as we got ready. After we arrived, there was a full house in the church as we listened to the priest talk about loving others. The main hall was beautifully decorated with flowers, red envelopes, blossoming branches.

After the service, we headed to the auditorium where we ate our meals as we listened to the entertainment and kids played at the carnival games. I reconnected with former Sunday school teachers and friends who I haven’t seen in years.

Monday morning, one of my brothers took me to a Korean plaza that has developed in Carrollton after I finished weeding the garden. It was such a beautiful day outside. There was a wonderful bakery called “85 degrees Celsius”. Everything smelled wonderful. I got an egg tart and a cheesecake pastry though I was tempted to get some pretty slices of cake. I know that my eyes can get bigger than my stomach, so I refrained.

We walked over to the bookstore next door. I loved the book collection, stationery, cards, pins, toys, pens. I spent some time admiring the book covers which immediately caught my attention. We chatted about his accomplishments at the library that he works at. I felt proud of the fact that he turned the library into a cool hangout spot for the teenagers he mentors. The city awarded him for his service.

My brother and I parted ways as he left me to explore the Japanese dollar shop. He was going to meet up with a friend. I did take some time exploring my surroundings and the objects that were on sale. It looked pristine and organized. Later that evening, I got a haircut at my aunt’s salon and reconnected with her. I loved my new hair style!

Next morning, mom woke me up to begin making another treat: banh bao (steamed buns). I began kneading the flour for half an hour reflecting on the past few days. Mom was sauteing the seasoned meat and boiling the eggs. When we were done prepping everything, I took a rolling pin, dusted it with flour, and flattened a piece of dough so that we could put the meat and eggs in there. We sealed the bun up with a twist so that it could look like a flower bud and place it on some wax paper so that it won’t stick to the metal steamer. I always learn so much from my mom as I’m cooking and baking alongside from her. She has such a knack for it, I once suggested the idea of opening a restaurant, but she didn’t want to deal with the level of stress with that pursuit.

Later that afternoon, after we were done steaming the buns. We decided to make some food deliveries to friends. First stop was my sister. When she moved out to her own place, she has new guests try out her yoga wheel which has significantly helped her back problems from a car accident. I got to see her artwork and doodles and felt proud of her recent accomplishments.

Later that evening, my other brother gave me a tour of the new library they built in my hometown after the city closed down the old branches. The books gave me a sense of comfort as I entered unfamiliar settings. I began browsing the shelves and examined the new amenities like a 3-D printer.

When we arrived back home, the President’s 2nd State of the Union Address was on TV. My family was worn out from the days activities, and called it a night. I tuned in and decided to listened. I felt like he was exaggerating the issues and the statistics that he uses are taken out of context that could affect the audience’s understanding of the big picture.

When I see women shaking their heads in the audience about health issues, I thought about articles I read in Ms.Magazine which offered perspectives as to why they might be feeling dismayed. In my regards to immigration, I thought about when he talked about how it is cruel to be tolerant of illegal immigration. I thought about his comments about the economy, foreign policy, laws on incarceration, antisemitism, nuclear energy.

2. Made for More

Where do we come from and where are we going? These questions are DECISIVE for understanding what it means to be human and how to orient our lives and our actions toward authentic fulfillment. Join Christopher West and Mike Mangione as they creatively weave together dynamic presentations with live music, movie clips, popular YouTube videos, and sacred art for an evening of beauty and reflection on the meaning of life, love, and human destiny. You will come away with a faith-filled vision of hope that will instill in you the sheer wonder and joy of being alive…

My boyfriend’s mother invited me to retreat called “Made for More: Visions of the Promised Land” held in Corpus Christi, TX. Christopher West presents the dense material of John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body” in a language that appeals to the average person. Matt Mangione is a musician and song writer who weaves theological truths into poetic narrative. It interested me because I wanted to develop a more positive vision for my future in spite of the news that I watch and read often.

It was a two hour car drive to Corpus Christi. My boyfriend uploads a podcast from Conlangery about “converbs“. I was fascinated by the talk about the construction of clauses. Afterward, I uploaded a podcast called “Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner“ from Castbox. Interviewer Guy Raz asked some intriguing questions, and we were both hooked by the fascinating story behind the origins of routing technology company and the makeup company. It’s inspiring for me to hear the story about a female programmer navigating the tech industry.

Statue of Mary peacefully looking over the courtyard

Before we knew it, we arrived at the church where it was already packed. We sat in the far back row where there was room for exactly two people. I listened to Christopher as he mentioned the concept of your worth in Toy Story as the toys are being tossed into the trash. He showed a video clip from Les Miserables. The point of redemption where Father Carl forgives Jean Valjean for stealing the chalices from the building. My boyfriend is covering my ears for all the spoilers the speaker mentioned. I haven’t watched it, but someday I will since it’s a classic. There was another scene he shared from the TV show Cheers, where a girl is asking her father for his blessing as she wants to get married. She wants her father to truly “see” her as she really is.

Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows by William Morris in St Michael and All Angels Church

He mentioned some things about the architecture of church buildings and how it’s arranged to focus on Jesus Christ. I thought of the mathematics in involved in making stained glass windows as I am captivated by the designs. He talked about the symbolism behind the feminine mystique of the flowers in the church which left me in a dazed state. I just thought of flowers as beautiful decorations to help bring peace to the members with its beauty, nothing more. He segwayed into a discussion about gender roles. The bride of the church. Specific characteristics of why only men are priests and women are nuns. I think about the differences between sex and gender, and choices

3. Infinity Expo

I found this event while scrolling through Eventbrite. Various topics in the description caught my attention.

Spend a day at The Infinity Expo where a venue will be transformed into a bustling town of fashion, rhythm, glamour, art, culture and a marketplace featuring some of the latest and exciting brands from vendors across the country. Presented at The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Tx, a lavish and beautiful haven will emerge taking inspiration from a bygone era and into the 21st century.

Fashion GalleryExperience a unique fashion presentation where mannequins and display windows come to life.

The Skin Deep Beauty ForumIt’s been said that beauty is only skin deep. Is it? Venture into the depth of beauty with the Skin Deep Beauty Forum where fashion, beauty and wellness experts explore the definition of beauty, self-care, body image, wellness and how it applies to our everyday lives. With an overarching message centered on the importance in maintaining a healthy relationship with your own beauty, The Skin Deep Beauty Forum is designed to inspire, uplift and encourage you to discover and rediscover your own beauty.

The entrance to the convention center is quite stunning with its bold architecture. I enjoy the glass structures in the lobby that are like interlocking mini pyramids.

I enjoyed slowly reading the messages made with an assortment of metal signs.

I believe I came too early because I saw the models were still applying makeup behind the stage, so I walked around the booths and chatted to the vendors. I mainly chatted to a woman who is an HR professional who was promoting her book, “Do You Want the Job or Not?” She shared some tips on pursuing a new career.

4. Sushi Party

Last year, a friend became my study buddy and helped me get through the challenges of one of our IT classes dealing with advanced database design. Forever grateful for her help, I decided to host a sushi party to teach her and her family how to make their own sushi. I was pretty excited as I sifted through a huge box filled with supplies in her kitchen.

I set up bamboo mats on the dining table and asked her family members to help me prepare the food to go inside the sushi. Many hands make the work light. The rice was warming on the stove, cucumbers and avocados were being finely chopped, cream cheese were cut into cylindrical blocks, crab meat was being pulled apart. It was so much fun seeing them have fun roll their own sushi rolls for the first time. The kids enjoyed it. The mothers put it on the Facebook storyline which went viral. Now, it looks like I’m booked for another sushi party gig next month for a youth group!

Enjoying Cee’s tulip this morning! Wishing my readers a Happy Valentine’s Day! These are some lovely roses that I took as I was heading to the library. It’s been a busy month for me! Hope you enjoy your day with those you care about!

]]>https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/14/fotd-happy-valentines-day/feed/2220190213_1028551192649119034588500.jpgtheresaly520Back from festivities!https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/08/back-from-festivities/
https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/08/back-from-festivities/#commentsFri, 08 Feb 2019 22:42:16 +0000http://theresaly520.wordpress.com/?p=2647Read More]]>Hey everyone! Hope you are taking care of yourselves well today! Where does the time go? I’m back in town, and finished unpacking my belongings. This past week flew by quickly. Though we’ve each had our challenges, celebrating lunar new year with my family was a blast this year!

Had mini adventures literally every day I was back in my hometown area. Made a big batch of 60 bánh bao (steamed buns) from scratch which a flour dough patty that wraps a mixture of onions, hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, onion, jicama, sausage. I also made some bánh chưng which is a traditional rice cake made from glutinous rice, mung bean/peanuts, and marinated pork wrapped up in banana leaves and then steamed.

One of my brothers gave me a tour of the Korean plaza that recently developed. I enjoyed the bakery, the bookstore, Japanese dollar store, H-mart which reminds me of a Whole Foods market. My other brother gave me a tour of the new facilities at the public library that was recently built. Seeing a 3-D printer was a novel sight along with their collections.

Visited sister’s new place in which she asks new guests to try out the yoga wheel. Got to check out her artwork as well! Dad took us to morning mass at the church and marketplace celebrations. Mom took me to visit old family friends I haven’t seen in a long time.

On my last night in town, I relaxed on the couch and decided to watch the State of the Union Address that aired. Dad decided to call it a night early, and my brother worked on homework. My other siblings were working, and mom was sleeping.

The female Democratic Congress women in the audience that sat in the left of the chamber of the House of Representatives was striking due to the white outfits they wore to call attention to women rights. I was most interested by the stories of the guests that were invited which painted a picture of certain aspects of life in America. The camera focused on varied reactions from former presidential nominees in the audience. Some slumped in their seats entrenched in thought and some listened earnestly to accomplishments. There’s division on so many issues.

On the bus heading back, I felt like a variety of other perspectives were left out and was intrigued by the analyses following after the Address. I listened to a variety of interesting podcasts and enjoying all the discussions. I went to a spiritual retreat titled Made for More with Christopher West which explored our purpose on Earth. Agreed on some things and disagreed on others.

Can’t wait to join in the fun of your tags again and catch up with your blog posts! Sharing pictures later! See you soon!
]]>https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/02/08/back-from-festivities/feed/2120190205_190255theresaly520Lunar New Yearhttps://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/01/28/lunar-new-year/
https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/01/28/lunar-new-year/#commentsMon, 28 Jan 2019 08:21:59 +0000http://theresaly520.wordpress.com/?p=2579Read More]]> Chinese American artist Kam Mak created the new Forever stampPhoto Credit: latimes.com

#haiku – A Prosperous Wish

Radiant blossomsJoy overflowing withinLife begins anew

Hello everyone! Just want to let you know that I’ll be gone for the first week of February celebrating the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet) with my family. In the mean time, I would like to share a few fun facts about the celebration and a hope for a better 2019 year for all of you! There are several countries throughout South, East, and West Asia that celebrate the new year based on the lunar and solar cycle as well.

Lunar New Year is coordinated by the phases of the moon and based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. So every year the lunar new year falls on a different day. The recent lunar eclipse was fascinating, wasn’t it?

Tet celebrates the arrival of spring. It’s an occasion to forget the troubles of the past and hope for a better new year. Typically there is a spring festival called Hoi Xuan. There’s lion dances and festivities in oriental market squares. Some churches celebrate by lighting up Chinese lanterns at night, organize a carnival, play some games, and host entertainment.

Chinese musicians and dancers perform a lion dance under red lantern decorations during the opening ceremony of the Spring Festival Temple Fair at the Temple of Earth in Beijing February 2, 2011. Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is China’s biggest holiday, giving migrant workers their only chance of returning to their home provinces with gifts and money for the family. It represents the world’s biggest annual mass migration of humans. UPI/Stephen Shaver

There are variations on how Vietnamese families pay their respects to ancestors that have passed away and invite their spirits to celebrate with them. In my family, we typically set up and decorate an altar like in the picture below.

Greetings! I never thought that the first time I hold a hand grenade is when teaching a friend how to make summer rolls in her kitchen. Believe it or not, these are real grenades that have been re-purposed as salt and pepper shakers! Talk about an explosive pair!

I guess salt (sodium chloride) IS a combination of a poisonous gas and explosive metal. Pepper is a compound of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen. An ultimate power couple! (Bob, I’m pleased to announce that the chemical soap opera continues! )

A few days ago, I had a quaint adventure as I visited a friend. Her precious dogs yelped at me with genuine enthusiasm when I arrived. Boy, was I in for a surprise when I encountered her mom’s cool salt and pepper shaker collection! Over the years, she has received many types of shakers from family members and friends around the world.

My friend’s father built these sturdy shelves for his wife’s collection. What a sweet gesture! It’s all out in the open where everyone can see them instead of gathering dust in a storage box somewhere. All these shakers don’t look forlorn as they each seem to belong to a family, though I’m not sure where the grenade shakers go.

This exhibit fascinates me with the same sort of appeal a museum does. I took a moment to take in all the colors, shapes, and sizes. I learned that the first shakers came out in 1920’s and 30’s. It sure has evolved since then!

The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes.

William James

Good morning! A few days ago, I was celebrating a friend’s birthday at a movie theater by seeing another superhero movie: Aquaman. Again, I loved the visual effects, the action, the laughs, and adventure!

My fourth Sunshine Blogger nomination is from Sadje from Keep It Alive! Thanks Sadje! She has some lovely stories as she weaves three or four tales a day from various word and photo prompts! She is a prolific writer and a popular lady here on the blogosphere.

What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?“The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive, and inspiring, while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.”

Once nominated, if you choose to accept, write a post where you:

Thank the person who nominated you for the Sunshine Award and link back to their blog

Answer the questions set by the person who nominated you

Nominate other blogs and give them questions to answer

Notify your nominees through social media or commenting on their blog

List the “rules” and display a Sunshine Award logo in your post

Sadje’s interesting questions are as follows:

Which one, do you feel is your best post?

Objectively, I’m going to my stats for this. I don’t visit it too often so this is a surprise to me! My top 5 posts outside of my About page are:

Subjectively, I’ve enjoyed the process of writing each post and taking or finding pictures for each one. I love the stunning flowers I take pictures of. Such beauty is hard to rank. I feel that I can do better with time.

How do you get inspiration for writing?

Many things inspire me in a multitude of ways! It can be almost anything since I’m fascinated by a lot of topics and easily amused. I love it when I find obscure connections between current events! Photographs, artwork, illustrations, life experiences I want to make sense of, relationships, jokes, food, my educational experiences, books I’ve read, my travels, television shows, movies, quotes, other’s blog posts, random ideas that pop into my head and I want to explore them further by writing about it.

If given a choice would you choose traveling by train or ship?

I enjoy travelling by train! I like to cozy up with a book as I pass by beautiful scenery. I easily get sea-sick by ship and have to take motion sickness pills. I once went crab fishing with my aunt in North Carolina and the rockiness of the boat made me vomit most of the afternoon. However, I’ve always wondered what a cruise ship would feel like! Maybe it’s a smoother experience!

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Angry Birds – The early bird gets the worm… and turns it into a friend.

Generally an early bird! I’m far more productive in the morning!

Which would you say is the best part of your life?

I cherish time spent with my relationships in nature. I enjoy travelling and having fun with my family, my roommates, my friends, and my boyfriend. I’ll share more stories about them later!

How was life in childhood for you?

Photo Credit: Realtor.com

I had a very charming and idyllic childhood for the most part. I was raised in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. In the cul-de-sac, my neighbors came from a variety of countries. It takes a village to raise a child. I was raised by teachers of all sorts of subjects, professors, engineers, doctors, bank tellers, business owners, mechanics, hotel housekeepers from a melting pot of religious and ethnic backgrounds. We all looked out for one another and I felt safe. We talked about many subjects underneath the sun when I would stop by to visit or when some of them babysat me.

They also had children my age. Playing with them was a blast! We had water gun fights, roller bladed in the sidewalks, played baseball, basketball, soccer. The girls would have long talks hanging out on the bed of my friend’s dad’s red truck till the moon popped up. We played outside for hours. Sometimes we stop to feed the ducks in the lake nearby. I am very fortunate to have such rich and vivid memories.

My loving parents worked hard to give us wonderful experiences. My siblings and I are close. My parents doted on and cared for us very well, and I’ve always felt loved and happy even though we weren’t rich. It was filled with fun family parties, road trip adventures, a wide range of music, fishing trips, visits to libraries and museums, and a love of nature.

My dad loves to grow several types of fruit trees around the perimeter of our backyard. I would help him take care of the flower and vegetable garden where we grew squash, peppers, eggplant, lettuce, mint. I would harvest the fruit off the trees and we would share our surplus with our friends and other family members. He also taught me lessons in construction, mathematics, and mechanics.

My mom was a stay-at-home homemaker while working as a seamstress on the side. I learned a lot of domestic skills. I basically learned how to sew my own clothes and other neat things. I would have fun cooking gourmet meals and baking wonderful treats with mom in the kitchen.

Are you a coffee person or a tea addict?

I don’t drink coffee at all, but I do love tea! It’s a wonderful stimulant to get me going in the mornings nearly every day. It also relaxes me when I might be going through some stressful moments. I also love to invite friends over for tea and cookies while we catch up with each other’s lives.

Food that you cannot resist?

Oh! I am a foodie! I love a variety of dishes as well as a lot of desserts! I love various types of pasta, seafood, breakfast food, lightly whipped desserts like eclairs or tarts.

What should be the first thing a child be taught?

There’s so much to teach children! However, I think some important lessons a child should learn is to show gratitude, respect, kindness, and be a life long learner. If they throw a tantrum, they should learn that they will not always get what they want by acting rudely.

How are you enjoying blogging?

I love it very much and find it more rewarding than other social media sites I’ve tried. I feel like I can express my thoughts more easily here. I’m thankful to you for being a great community! Right now, it’s fun to write stories for an audience.

What are your ambitions for your blog?

It’s an evolving entity. I would love to collaborate with other bloggers on a project of sorts. Perhaps we can tackle a challenge together and write our accounts. Someday, I might invite bloggers to write on my blog about a particular topic.

I want to incorporate some thorough book/movie reviews of some books/movies that I’ve recently read. I want to write more about my studies in depth and explore more literature which is a passion of mine. I want to be more comfortable expressing opinions about a variety of other subjects. I do a lot of sketch work as well and would love to share that with all of you!

I also hope I can also spread more sunshine and beauty to your lives by sharing inspiring quotes, snapping pictures that leave me in awe, or sharing stories that have touched my heart.

]]>https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/01/23/sunshine-blogger-4-from-keep-it-alive/feed/30s1theresaly520Into the Spiderversehttps://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/01/19/into-the-spiderverse/
https://theresaly520.wordpress.com/2019/01/19/into-the-spiderverse/#commentsSat, 19 Jan 2019 20:15:29 +0000http://theresaly520.wordpress.com/?p=2545Read More]]>Yesterday, the fog returned in full force! My boyfriend and I headed out to the movie theater after eating a delicious meal at a restaurant called Pho Garden. We shared some spring rolls, vermicelli pork dishes, and a tasty bowl of warm pho as we chatted about future goals, our daily plans, and life experiences. The restaurant gradually became packed with hungry customers. It was so much fun, and we licked the bowls and plates clean!

After debating between two super-hero movies, we decided to watch Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse and wow, I was blown away by the visually stunning animation and a solid cast of unique characters! Serious, dark situations were mitigated with humorous and intelligent dialogue. The antagonists in the story were intimidating and brilliant. A charming and stylish adventure, I was dazzled by how immersed I was in the whole experience: a blend of the 2-D comic book world that came to life and 3-D elements. I enjoyed the appearance of Stan Lee!

Afterward, we were still processing our roller coaster high as we stepped back into the reality of our world. While sitting next to the bowling alley and arcade, we looked at various Spiderman episodes from the 60s till present on Youtube, and I was amazed to see just how far we came along in terms of quality and speed. We discussed about what it takes to captivate audiences nowadays and wondered: If this is the bar now, what is it going to look like 40 years from now?

Hello everyone! “Tell The Story Challenge” is a tag created by Eclectic Contrarian where the tagger gives his/her nominees a picture to write a tale, story, or poem about it. I’ve been tagged by Rory @ A Guy Called Bloke and K-9 Doodlepip! His funny story is called Box Dancing – The Misunderstanding. I wrote a poem in response to Rory’s image below:

Frozen

Harsh winds of winter-Her precious vitalityhangs on by a thread

Her vibrant red hues once captivated onlookers but now, she fades into lighter shades of coral as melancholy overwhelms her. She mourns the loss of her friends who grew up with her in the fields. Her tears turn to ice. She is frozen in the moment. Her spirit resigns as the frost takes over her petals. Her head droops as she falls into a deep slumber. The ground attempts to nourish her during this time.

The sun wonders what it would take to solve this conundrum. The sun tries to cheer her up. The sun’s rays tickled the flower. The hairs on her head and stem raise only slightly. Darn, a futile attempt! Onerous though the flower’s life may be, spring is around the corner. Soon, she will see her perennial friends again!

I suffer from anxiety and depression I am not ashamed of it anymore and it’s not nice. People don’t believe me when I tell them because I am always happy and laughing round them and try to make others laugh. At times I do struggle. I can be hard to live with or to be around when I get this way and I know it.

I try my best to control it and most of the time I succeed. I manage to get on top of it and control thing’s but at times I break. So if you see me and I am quiet or don’t speak, I’m not upset with you nor have you upset me, I also do not mean to be rude, I may just need a minute to myself or a hug.

So please if you are my friend just bare with me. It’s ok to not be ok, tell someone you’re not ok. It’s ok. Everyone says: “If you need anything, don’t hesitate, I’ll be there for you”… So I’m going to make a bet, without being pessimistic, I wish my friends that you will put this on your wall.You just have to copy (not share)!!! I want to know who I can count on… And I’m sure it will be less than 25. Write “done” in comments when you do!

It’s Mental Illness Awareness month –This is for all the people I know suffering too,Keep strong!

Okay shades are out! 3rd nomination is from Rory @ A Guy Called Bloke and K-9 Doodlepip!Thanks Rory! Rory has created quite several interesting activities to keep us well entertained. You’ll see when you check out his questions! He shares interesting insights about variety of topics and recently about awards! Since I’m fairly new, I enjoy this sort of appreciation and recognition but I’ll engage in only questions this time.

What is the Sunshine Blogger Award?“The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are creative, positive, and inspiring, while spreading sunshine to the blogging community.”

Once nominated, if you choose to accept, write a post where you:

Thank the person who nominated you for the Sunshine Award and link back to their blog

Answer the questions set by the person who nominated you

Nominate other blogs and give them questions to answer

Notify your nominees through social media or commenting on their blog

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Why was he called Darth Vader and not Fart Fader?

How did Darth Vader’s name come to be?

I see you’re testing my geek credentials! To be fair, I’ve only watched the entire Star Wars movie series just last year during a experimental marathon my boyfriend’s friend created out of curiosity. According to him, there is old lore and new lore concerning the etymology of Darth Vader’s name. First, I’ll go into two reasons why he is not called Fart Fader!

Reason #1: A fader is an audio/visual device that adjusts the volume of sound or the intensity of light. It seems safe to assume that a “fart fader” is a device that adjusts the volume of farts.

The best fart scene that I think was fun for audio visual artists to fade in and out was from the movie The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) when everyone drinks a bottle of frobscottle, a green bubbly drink that “tastes like vanilla and cream with a faint trace of raspberries”.

Sophie standing in front of frobscottle

Farting royal dignitaries and pets

Now according to the American Bartenders School library, the Darth Vader cocktail is made out of STRONGER stuff! Even the bartenders knew of Darth Vader’s legacy and recognized that he needs to be taken seriously after all. Here’s the actual recipe!

Directions Combine the Rum, Vodka, Gin, Tequila, and Triple Sec into an ice filled cocktail shaker. Cover, shake well, and pour into a Collins glass. Add the Red Bull, stir well, float the Jager on top, and add a Cherry. It’s strong. it’s tasty, and it’s from the dark side. Enjoy your Darth Vader, and remember…May the force be with you!!!

Reason #2: In Swedish, “fart fader” means speed father. If you add the word Swedish word “hog” which means high in front, I think of the military term “High Speed Father” which means that someone is so prepared that they are able to react nearly instantaneously. (Credit: AwesomeDadGear) I just don’t think that Darth Vader was prepared to react instantaneously in some situations. He had an identity crisis and moments of doubt.

Now, as for the Darth’s name, I liked Robin Williams take on it in his article- The Origin of Darth Vader: The Name. In summary, Lucas was messing around with a combination of different names. Darth Vader doesn’t actually mean Dark Father as he led many people to believe.

George Lucas went to school with a Gary Vader who was a football player who was a year older than him. Robin suggested that George Lucas may have been bullied by Gary Vader leading Lucas to associate evil with Gary’s last name.

Lucas’ earlier choice for Darth’s name was Dark Water which could have dramatically changed the fighting style into water bending like in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

What’s the worst pair of socks you have ever owned?

The year was 2006. Large red and orange autumn leaves covered the campus. I participated in a game of “Assassin” in my dormitory. Everyone who chooses to participate would receive their target assignments from the resident adviser and your weapon would be a pair of socks that you’ve rolled up into a ball. If you survived, your prize would be a $100 gift card. 30 students were highly motivated that year as many of us had tight budgets.

I had a pair of lime green socks that I loaned to my neighbor who didn’t own any socks because he loved to wear flip flops all the time. He told me he found his target, but then someone got him. Day by day, names were crossed off the list that was posted to the wall outside the elevator. It was the final round and five people were left. I randomly found my target while he was doing his laundry. I managed to stay alive.

One day, I was in the computer lab working on my homework assignments. When I finished, I faced the only exit and found a young man smiling mischievously at me. There was no escape. My heart pounded and I screamed as he hurled a black and red sock ball at my chest. Game over! So, I’d say my lime green socks were the worst as they were turned into a weapon that year. Looking back at it, it makes me wonder about the state of humanity and what they would do for entertainment and money.

Do you think the older we get, whilst we become wiser to a certain extent we become dumber in so far as our faster progression of digital software and if so why and if not why?

A few of my classmates conducted a research study on how many of us have a reliance on tools that make our lives easier, yet we become dumb or perhaps lazy in a sense because we no longer exercise that particular mental faculty ourselves by letting the tool do the work for us. Spell check, for instance, is very useful, but it makes me feel that there will be less of an emphasis on learning how to spell correctly especially with the advent of increasing use of acronyms and slang usage among youth.

Calculators have been getting more advanced as well doing the heavy lifting of abstract thinking for us. Yet, I think our brains need training in reasoning through problems so that we can sense problems and tricks as they occur. Our intuitive senses are strengthened when we personally engage with it. This finger mathematics approach that some Indian schools have taught fascinates me. It might be a factor in all the strides that India has made in the engineering and technology sector which has a strong mathematical bent.

However, I participated in a field study where many participants have told me how technology has positively impacted their lives. Some immigrants have learned English more quickly to acclimate to living in a new area by utilizing various applications on their phones to help them learn languages. They don’t have to resort to attending classes at a certain time in a brick and mortar location as my own parents have done. Some have felt that their children are “smarter” as they seemed more plugged in and engaged with current events due to being on their phones. They’re exposed to many things with so much information available at their fingertips.

I don’t think that digital software replaces critical thinking skills. That’s an assumption that I think many have fallen for. Last night, I found out one of my younger coworkers was writing an essay last minute about whether or not the United States electoral college should be reformed. He was busy looking for the answers in various search engines online, yet I felt like he was quite lost as to what he was searching for. I looked at some of those answers, and they didn’t make any sense! I gave him some notes and keywords such as gerrymandering and populism, but was worried that he was going to take someone else’s word for it.

Another coworker didn’t question whether a video of a robot in Japan killed 29 scientists was real or not. It’s been debunked in case you guys are wondering about a real life terminator on the loose.

What is the difference between an acquaintance and a colleague?

Interesting! I was always under the impression that a colleague was a classmate/peer/coworker, and an acquaintance is someone who you see occasionally, but is not a close friend. I’ve explored this a bit more in a video and some quotes below!

“An acquaintance merely enjoys your company, a fair-weather companion flatters when all is well, a true friend has your best interests at heart and the pluck to tell you what you need to hear.”

If nothing held you back in your confidence what would you cram into one day where the rest of life would be made easier because of the previous days actions?

I would use many daily hacks to make the most use for my day. I’d use the pomodoro technique to “power through distractions, hyper-focus, and get things done in short bursts, while taking frequent breaks to come up for air and relax.” Study hard for my certifications and graduate entrance exam which opens up different doors in the future.

On another note, I would probably be more in charge of my financial life rather than work for someone else. I would quit my job and start my own business. I would make wise investments in various companies that might be able to bring back hefty returns to stabilize my financial life. I would work on developing an invention, establishing my own artistic creations, compile a book, and market that publication.

All of that really scares me. Developing self-confidence in the midst of a government shutdown or a rough economy is a great trait. You guys inspire me. Thanks.

Of everything you do in a given 24 hours per day what takes up the most time?

Currently, it’s working and studying for school! I’d like some more freedom to travel. I cherish my blogging time immensely!

If you could travel back in time and change 1 hour of your life knowing full well it will alter your current past, present and future would you do so, and if so what? If not, what prevents you from doing so?

I’m thinking of a variety of situations, and yet I’m hesitant to do this. I’ve met some wonderful people after I went through dark periods of my life that I desperately tried to avoid. I’ve learned so much during the time, that it would have been highly unlikely that I would have met them and live the life that I am engaging with right now. I have a greater appreciation after I went through those difficult challenges and became stronger in the process.

Ok, so we live each day, every second, every minute and every hour of every day, week, month and year, and at which point of any given day, week or month or year would you say you feel or have felt the most alive?

Mornings in the summertime when I’m fully engaged with my hobbies and interests outside the structure and expectations of school!

What’s more important to you? Your Phone or your wallet/purse/bag?

Photo Credit: Quotesgram

This is somewhat difficult! My purse has my ID and other various important documents. If that was taken, I would primarily be concerned about identity theft rather than the purse itself. Just imagining a doppelganger makes me wonder!

My phone is my lifeline. Even if someone stole my purse, I can still call the bank and close all my accounts. I can call the Federal Trade Commission and make a report. I can call for help if I get in an accident.

Both can get replaced as it’s not worth losing my life over. I increase security on my phone, protect myself by getting fraud alerts, and enrolling in Life Lock support in the case that it does happen.

Uh oh! You have died before your time and you are there standing with the Maker and discussing your available options, which are: Go back as a donkey, Go back as a walrus, Go back as a cockroach, Go back as a completely different person of 40, your choice of gender, Stay dead.What would you choose and why?If you chose the ‘stay dead’ option, why did you do that?

Are you kidding me? I think I would like to go back as a walrus living in the arctic! I need to be a representative for the region if global warming continues to be an issue! I would be exploring a new terrain that I would probably never do as a human. Since I would be quite sociable, I’ll be sure to pose for National Geographic paparazzi!